Internal ultrasonic tip amplifier
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsGeorge Bromfield, Jeffrey J. Vaitekunas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic energy amplifier. The amplifier comprises a delivery horn having a solid proximal portion and a hollow distal portion. The hollow distal portion has substantially less cross-sectional area than the solid proximal portion. Ultrasonic energy is transmitted sequentially through the proximal and distal portions and its velocity is amplified because of the lower cross-sectional area of the distal portion.
Claims38
An ultrasonic energy amplifier comprising:
- a delivery horn having a proximal portion for receiving ultrasonic energy and a distal portion through which the ultrasonic energy is delivered, said distal portion being hollow in the form of an enclosure to amplify the velocity of the ultrasonic energy as said energy is delivered through said hollow distal portion.
An ultrasonic energy amplifier comprising:
- a delivery horn having a proximal portion and a distal portion, said delivery horn being configured for receiving ultrasonic energy at said proximal portion and channeling said energy sequentially through said proximal and distal portions, respectively, such that said energy is delivered from the distal portion, said distal portion having a hollow enclosure formed therein sufficient in size to amplify the velocity of the ultrasonic energy as said energy is delivered through said distal portion.
A method for amplifying velocity of ultrasonic energy, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a delivery horn having a solid proximal portion and a hollow enclosure distal portion, said hollow distal portion having less cross-sectional area than the solid proximal portion;
- and
- (b) transmitting ultrasonic energy sequentially through the proximal and distal portions, respectively, of the delivery horn to amplify the velocity of the ultrasonic energy as said energy passes from said hollow distal portion.
An ultrasonic energy amplifier comprising:
- a delivery horn having a proximal portion and a hollow enclosure distal portion, the hollow distal portion terminating in an inwardly-tapering distal end and a cross-sectional area which is less than a cross-sectional area of the proximal portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.